License plate reader hit led Oroville Police to 16‑year‑old homicide suspect, who was unarmed at the time of arrest
Oroville Police said they located the 16‑year‑old Covelo boy after a license plate reader flagged the vehicle listed in a Mendocino County all‑points bulletin issued following the killing of a 38‑year‑old Covelo woman. The hit placed the car in a cluster of strip malls along a busy Oroville highway. Officers found the vehicle, began searching the area, and spotted the boy in a restaurant parking lot. He ran but did not resist once officers caught up with him on foot. Oroville Police said he was unarmed at the time of arrest. The teen remains in juvenile hall in Butte County while awaiting transport to Mendocino County.
The press release follows. We added some information to help people who dont know Oroville geography.
MEDIA STATEMENT: OROVILLE POLICE ARREST JUVENILE SUSPECT IN MENDOCINO COUNTY HOMICIDE CASE
On April 20, 2026, the Oroville Police Department located and safely arrested a 16 year old juvenile suspect in connection with a homicide investigation originating in Mendocino County. The suspect is currently in custody and awaiting extradition to Mendocino County for prosecution.
On April 19, 2026, the Oroville Police Department received a BOLO, Be On the Lookout, for a vehicle associated with an active homicide investigation in Mendocino County. Investigators believed the juvenile suspect was driving the vehicle and may have been within the Oroville area.
Officers immediately began canvassing areas where the vehicle was last detected through Automated License Plate Reader systems. The vehicle was ultimately located near Oro Dam Blvd East and Mesa Avenue. This is a strip mall area in Oroville with the like of Big Foot Eats and Starbucks nearby The vehicle was secured and towed as evidence as part of the ongoing homicide investigation. At that time, the suspect was not located in or around the vehicle.
On April 20, 2026, officers received information that the suspect may be in the 2600 block of Olive Highway, which is where Taco Bell is. While conducting a search of the area, a Oroville Police sergeant observed the juvenile in a nearby parking lot. Upon contact, the suspect fled on foot, leading to a brief foot pursuit.
The suspect was quickly apprehended without further incident, taken into custody, and transported to the Butte County Juvenile Hall. The juvenile was arrested on a Ramey Warrant related to the homicide investigation in Mendocino County. The juvenile was unarmed at the time of the arrest.
This arrest reflects the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts. The Oroville Police Department worked closely with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to safely locate and apprehend this individual.
For additional details regarding the investigation, please refer to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release: MCSO Press Release: Press Release – 2026-04-19, MCSO Case #2026-7126 (187(a) PC – Murder)
Oroville Police credited the arrest to a fast BOLO, a clean license‑plate‑reader hit, and two departments working the same problem from opposite sides of the county line — a relay of information that tightened the search, mile by mile, until officers finally closed the distance in a parking lot off Olive Highway.
